Brotherhood
The Brotherhood are a group of freedom fighters in the country of Ezir. Labled insurgents by the ruling magocracy, they fight against corruption and evil. History The Brotherhood was initially founded as a house guard within one of the noble houses of the Ezirandi before the rise of the magocracy. They were an elite unit who protected not only their house but also the citizens of Ezir against monsters, brigands, and disaster. Unlike their current incarnation, they were primarily composed of warriors, paladins, and priests. Over time, the Brotherhood found itself embroiled in the politics of the various factions of Ezir. In response, they evolved a counter-espionage unit, comprised of bards and rogues. This unit began working in secret to detect plots and dangers from their fellow Ezirandi. It was this unit that discovered the drow invasion plot of 1374 KR and who helped defeat the al'Aseir rebellion of 1493 KR. By 1535 KR, the Brotherhood had grown to the rank of National Army, with their number into the tens of thousands. Its members operated in all corners of the country, and began growing confident in themselves. Battalion members began to carry tattoos and brands proclaiming their honor in their membership, and they were welcomed throughout Ezir as heroes. All that would change quickly. Uprising In 1545 KR, an uprising occurred within the Ezirandi government. The monarchy was overthrown, replaced with a magocracy comprised of members of the Arcanum Institute. Instrumental in this uprising was Andros Shale, whose house had long been members of the Institute. His house guard, known colloquially as the Warpigs, took to arms against the Brotherhood, leading to open war in the streets of Ezir. Due to the influence of magic from the Institute, the Warpigs were victorious in capturing or killing most of the Brotherhood's members, save the counter-espionage unit, who had remained hidden throughout the conflict. Evolution With their ranks decimated, the remaining members of the Brotherhood faced a crisis: they were no longer able to protect the citizens and were branded as criminals. The whole of the organization changed in the months following the war; the central leadership was disbanded and the operatives split into groups of two or three, operating independantly, without knowledge of the operations and identities of other teams. Minimal communication would be used to mark operational territory, but each group would work alone. Collectively, the Brotherhood worked against the Arcanum Institute, though methods varied by each team. Always on their minds, however, was the original purpose of the Brotherhood: to protect the people of Ezir. Eclipse The brotherhood stumpled upon a plot in the early years of the magocracy: a plot by Sennebma, a student of the Arcanum Institute to usurp the Institute's power and take over the world. Through guile and diplomacy, the Brotherhood managed to get the student expelled from the Institute, then tracked him to Nekhet, a fortress in southwest Ezir. Three operative teams converged upon the fortress and engaged the wizard in battle. During the conflict, two of the three teams were defeated. The remaining operatives were taken captive and tortured, though one managed to escape, mortally wounding Sennebma in the process. Current Operations Operating at reduced strength after the loss of three operative teams, the Brotherhood now acts in secret, influencing actions rather than actively fighting against the Arcanum Institute. Category:Organizations Category:Organizations in Ezir